Mangaluru: Cops arrest Rama Sene leader Prasad Attavar after attack on unisex salon

A U.S. military aircraft carrying 104 Indian migrants deported from the United States landed in Amritsar, Punjab, on Wednesday. This marks the first such deportation flight under President Donald Trump's intensified crackdown on illegal immigration. 

Harrowing Journeys in Pursuit of the American Dream

Many of the deported individuals undertook perilous journeys orchestrated by unscrupulous agents who promised legal entry into the U.S. Harvinder Singh, from Tahli village in Punjab's Hoshiarpur district, recounted his ordeal:

False Promises and Dangerous Routes: After paying an agent ₹4.2 million for a U.S. work visa, Singh was rerouted through multiple countries, including Brazil and Colombia. He endured a treacherous two-day trek through mountainous terrain, often referred to as the "donkey route," and a perilous sea journey toward the Mexico-U.S. border. During this voyage, the boat capsized, resulting in the death of a fellow traveler. 

Survival Amidst Tragedy: Sukhpal Singh from Darapur village described a similar experience, involving a 15-hour sea journey and a 45-kilometer hike through hazardous hills. He witnessed numerous fatalities along the way and was eventually apprehended in Mexico before reaching the U.S. Detained in a dark cell for 14 days, he emphasized the dire conditions faced by many Punjabi migrants. 

Financial Ruin and Broken Dreams

Families of the deported migrants are now grappling with substantial debts incurred to fund these ill-fated journeys.

Crippling Debts: Kuljinder Kaur, wife of Harvinder Singh, lamented, "We sold whatever little we had and borrowed money at high interest to pay the agent, hoping for a better future. But he deceived us. Now, not only has my husband been deported, we are also left with a huge debt." 

Mortgaged Futures: In Kapurthala's Behbal Bahadue, Gurpreet Singh's family mortgaged their home and took loans to send him abroad. Similarly, Jaswinder Singh's family in Fatehgarh Sahib spent ₹5 million, only to face the burden of high-interest loans after his deportation. 

Government Response and Future Implications

This deportation operation precedes Prime Minister Narendra Modi's upcoming visit to Washington for discussions with President Trump. The Indian government has expressed its willingness to accept deported nationals after proper verification. Between November 2023 and October 2024, the U.S. deported 519 Indian citizens, with estimates suggesting around 725,000 unauthorized Indian immigrants currently reside in the U.S. 

The deported individuals' experiences underscore the perils of illegal migration and the exploitation by fraudulent agents. Authorities urge citizens to pursue legitimate avenues for international travel and employment to avoid such tragedies.

Dubai: The Consulate General of India in Dubai recently awarded Aim India Forum with an appreciation award in recognition of its significant contributions to the Indian community in the UAE.

In September 2024, the UAE government launched an amnesty initiative aimed at promoting respect for the law, tolerance, compassion, and social cohesion. This initiative allowed individuals who chose to leave the country during the amnesty period to do so without facing overstay fines, exit fees, or entry bans, while retaining the right to re-enter the UAE at any time.

Aim India Forum was invited to collaborate with the Indian Consulate during this amnesty period. Our Founder President, Shirali Shaikh Muzaffer, accepted the invitation and dedicated four months to this important initiative. Alongside other community organizations, including DUBAI KMCC, IPF UAE, FOI UAE, and others, Aim India Forum worked tirelessly to support fellow Indian nationals in need.

His Excellency Satish Kumar Sivan, Consul General of India, acknowledged and congratulated Founder President Shaikh Muzaffer and Board Member Mohammed Niyaz for their unwavering dedication and efforts throughout this project.

The Aim India Forum played a pivotal role in the safe repatriation of distressed and stranded Indian citizens in the UAE. An amnesty help desk was set up at the Indian Consulate to assist those seeking amnesty. This desk offered a range of services at no cost, including Emergency Certificates (one-way travel documents), labor cancellation, case clearance, and the issuance of exit permits/outpasses. Through these efforts, the Consulate General of India in Dubai successfully assisted 15,000 Indian nationals.

In partnership with various Indian diaspora organizations, CGI Dubai facilitated the issuance of 2,117 passports, 3,589 emergency certificates, and supported the acquisition of over 3,700 exit permits. Many individuals also benefitted from our guidance in securing fee and penalty waivers from UAE authorities.

As this operation concludes, we extend our deepest gratitude to the UAE Government for its unwavering support. We also wish to express our sincere thanks to the dedicated volunteers from diaspora organizations who played an instrumental role in the success of this initiative.

Udupi: A 59-year-old man has allegedly lost ₹20.17 lakh in a stock market scam after being lured by promises of high returns.

Vinod, the complainant, stated that he discovered an online stock market-related company, PML Securities, on November 2 last year. Encouraged by its offerings, he began investing through the company’s mobile applications, PML Max and PML PRO, starting from November 27.

Initially, his investments were returned in line with the IPO (Initial Public Offering) process, reinforcing his trust in the platform. However, trouble arose when he attempted to withdraw his funds, only to find himself unable to do so. Upon contacting the company, he was allegedly persuaded that additional payments were required to unlock his money.

Trusting the assurances given, Vinod continued making payments, transferring a total of ₹20.17 lakh to various bank accounts linked to the company until December 24. The complaint alleges that the operators of PML Max and PML PRO deceived him by falsely promising substantial returns on stock market investments.

A case has been registered at the Manipal Police Station, and an investigation is underway.